Archive By Section - Opinion

A bill currently before the Georgia Legislature that would require testing potential drivers in English only is fanning flames on both sides of the always-heated immigration debate. However, the proposed requirement should have nothing to do with racial discrimination - as some opponents claim - and everything to do with safety.

This year, the federal government is conducting the 2010 Census. The Census is a count of everyone residing in the United States. All U.S. residents must be counted, including citizens and non-citizens.

April 14, 2010|
By State Rep. Al Williams
Special to the Courier
|Opinion

For more than a year, federal efforts at reforming the nation's health insurance system have been controversial to say the least. Now that the president has signed health reform into law, the partisan debate should come to an end.

April 12, 2010|
By Timothy Sweeney and Alan Essig
Special to the Courier
|Opinion

While reading a recent report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, I found a statement regarding school reform that provides advice about the importance of our educational system. It notes that "If schools don't work, the city does not work."

Since the tragedy of 9/11, our nation and its communities have experienced a heightened awareness of the sacrifice and service of military members and emergency response personnel. Americans as a whole are a charitable and thoughtful people, and always seem generous with our time and outpourings of goodwill towards those who serve.

Tax Freedom Day in Georgia falls on April 8 this year, according to the Tax Foundation. That's the 98th day of the year and the day when we Georgians will have worked enough to pay our share of federal, state and local taxes for 2010.

On Wednesday, March 31, Jeff Larson of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) held the second "stakeholders" meeting to discuss the progress, or lack thereof, of the EPD in accumulating and processing data to answer the questions about the potential for damage to the salt marsh should the wastewater treatment plant in Liberty County be allowed.

The 2010 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly is almost completed, with only seven session days left. Working into the late hours of the night on Crossover Day, last Friday, the House passed many important pieces of legislation. Given that Crossover Day is the last day that a bill must pass one chamber in order to be considered by the other, the members of the House continued to debate legislation as long as time would allow. Some might say that the "People's Work" is never finished and as a member of the "People's House," all of the ...

April 07, 2010|
By State Rep. Ron Stephens
Special to the Courier
|Opinion

The Hinesville City Council's recent decision to increase the salaries of the mayor and council members was a surprise to most residents of our city. The vote followed a Jan. 7 vote taken after an executive session when the media and most attendees had left the meeting. To further cloud the first vote, the discussion to increase the wages of the mayor and council members was not included on the meeting agenda, as required by law

• Day 31 (Tuesday, March 30): Having passed the deadline where bills originating in the Senate can be passed over to the House, we began concentrating on those House bills that have been sent to us this year as well as bills left over from last year. But before we started the official business of the day, we took time to honor a popular country music star from Douglas, Jennifer Nettles, of the musical group Sugarland.

April 07, 2010|
By State Sen. Buddy Carter
Special to the Courier
|Opinion

This is an open letter to the staff and volunteers of the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service (MAREX) on Skidaway Island and particularly to those involved in the re-establishment of Georgia's oyster fishery.

I have a lot of r espect for third-term State Sen. Ronnie Chance (R-Tyrone.) Sen. Chance's father, Louie, and I grew up in College Park and I know for a fact the young man comes from good stock. Louie Chance is a Great American.

Articles by Section - Opinion

Last weekend, as I introduced President Barack Obama on the steps of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, I was overcome with emotions. Of course, I reflected on how far we have come over the past 50 years. But one thought could not escape my mind: Those who fight to make it harder to vote don't know what it's like to be kicked, clubbed and beaten for the simple right to cast a ballot.

It is with regret I tell you that our intrepid public servants in the Legislature have scuttled a bill that would have lowered the age of eligibility to serve as a member of the House of Representatives to 18 years of age and to 21 in the State Senate.

Editor, For decades, students at the traditional public schools in Georgia have been denied the chance to win a state championship because the system overseen by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) ignores the fact that there is no parity among traditional public schools, private schools and city schools.